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Something Like Biographical Sketch of Yoshimitsu Morita
1950
1953
1956
Morita was born on January 25th in Maruyama town, Shibuya
in Tokyo. His parents ran a traditional Japanese restaurant,
so geisha(a traditional female Japanese entertainer) were very
familiar to him. He learned the two-faced human beings
through interaction with guests even as a child.
His grandmother, who loved theater took him to see Kabuki
and Shin Kokugeki. She also liked horse racing
and took him to the off-track betting shop at Namikibashi
in Shibuya, so it was only natural that he later became a great
lover of horse racing. Morita said in later years, "It wasn’t their intention to make me a filmmaker, but all those things may
have been a big influence on me."
He and a maid went to the nearby Shinsen station to watch a
train every day.
Morita entered Omukai Elementary School in Shibuya,
Tokyo (the school was closed in 1997 and the former site is
now the Theater Cocoon in the Tokyu Department Store).
1957
1960
He attended the Toho Entertainment School.
He appeared as a child actor in the TV drama Dear Tenants!
(a comedy starring the Dassen Trio).
He was shocked by Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro and remembered
the name of the film director for the first time.
He entered Shoto Junior High School in Shibuya.
Morita entered Nihon University Sakuragaoka High School. He joined
the newspaper club and wrote some movie reviews. He was impressed
by the dynamism of "Doctor Zhivago", became fascinated by movies,
and at the same time, obsessed with jazz.
He entered the Broadcasting Department of Nihon University's College
of Art, but due to the Japanese university protest, the university was on
lockdown and had no classes, so broadcasting equipment was also not
available. He began making 8mm films including Films, The Weather
Forecast, Perspective, etc. and presented them at independent film
screenings, which turned them into critically acclaimed films. He
attended Soichi Oya's Tokyo Mass Communication.
1962
1963
1966
1968
1972
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1972
1978
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1976
1978
1980
1981
Morita graduated from college without even looking for a job. He attended Kubota Advertising Institute. He kept
on filming 8mm films while working part- time at Ginrei Hall, a movie theater in Iidabashi town, Tokyo. The film Water Vapor Express (1976) and other works are still said to be fresh and youthful after half a century.
He married Kazuko Misawa, who became his business and personal partner for the rest of his life.
He released Live in Chigasaki, a culmination of Morita's 8mm films. This film depicted the daily lives of local young
people in Chigasaki,which was becoming famous as a surfing mecca. This film not only caused a stir in the independent
film community but also attracted attention from various fields. Thus, he became a major catalyst for the leap from 8mm
to 35mm film. Morita said of the film, "It would be nice to make a youth film in which people don't die. I think youth is
something more commonplace and ordinary.”
He established the production company "News Corporation" with Kazuko Misawa.
Something Like It was released on September 12th.
His career started in an unusual way, as all the processes were managed by himself except for distribution. He wrote the
screenplays, raised funds for the film, and opened the office (not to be taken disadvantage in the negotiation with the
actors). When talking about that time Morita later said, "When I thought about what I should make first, I decided on the
adult entertainment business and rakugo, because I knew those two better than anyone else." Furthermore, “It doesn't
project a clichéd pattern of relationships, but something like one. In fact, I think that's where the truth lies."
This revolutionary film was very well received and a big hit despite its single-theater release, and he won the Yokohama
Film Festival's Best Picture Award and Best New Director Award. Even now, 40 years later, it is said that "There has
been no impact as great as Morita’s debut.” The catchphrase for this film, "How interesting humans are," is the essence
of Morita's films every time.
1982
He became the center of attention with his debut film, but
the next offer for him did not come easily. An offer finally
came in February after the new year.
The film is Boys & Girls (Come on Girls!) starring the
then No. 1 popular idol group Shibugakitai (Released on
July 21st). The film was shot on location only for 12 days,
focusing on "making a good film for their fans."
At about the same time, he was assigned to work on the
Nikkatsu Roman Porno film Top Stripper, and then
he got a job for The Family Game.
As a result, he managed to write three scenarios in one
month simultaneously.
Top Stripper was released on October 1st.
The film performed moderately at the box office, but the
executives of the production company (Nikkatsu) acclaimed
the film, thus the following January, Pink Cut : Love Me
Hard, Love Me Deep was filmed.
1983
Pink Cut: Love Me Hard, Love Me Deep was released on January 21st.
Morita recalled, "Roman Porno allowed me to take the plunge, and I really appreciated it as a place for us, young
directors to gain experience."
Two days later, The Family Game began filming for 18 days. He later said, "I haven’t experienced as an assistant director,
but I think I overcame a lot of that inexperience by filming my first three films, so if I had made this film right after
Something Like It, I don't think it would have turned out as good as it did."
The Family Game was released on June 4th.
The film won nearly every domestic award and was officially entered into the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland,
in addition, was also screened in New York and other parts of the U.S.
Deaths in Tokimeki began filming on August 1st.
When the offer came, he said, "Although I was confident that I could make it a good film, I was going to turn it down
because it would not make a hit. However, I heard Kenji Sawada (a.k.a. 'Julie') would be the leading actor,
so I accept the offer because I could work with 'Julie', who was the symbol of our youth."
1984
Deaths in Tokimeki was released on February 18th.
Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, that was as he expected (unfortunately), he later said, "I really
liked the film myself because everything was very good, including the Hakodate location, the relationships, the
dialogue, the cinematography, the color, the music, and the atmosphere." Now it is one of the most popular films
among Morita's films.
Immediately after the release of Deaths in Tokimeki, Main Theme began filming. The film was filmed on location in
Okinawa, where the weather was so bad that "all of Morita-Gumi’s (Morita’s Team for filmmaking) bad luck with the
weather was used up," but this in turn gave the film a mysterious illusionary effect. He was able to turn any negative
into a positive.
In April, he released a trilogy of LP records titled Film without image, including Okay, Because, and No Such Thing.
Morita, who has the best "sense of fun", created “one more film”: his LP record trilogy masterpieces. He believed that
anything is possible with "sound" alone, even if big tricks could not be visualized in a film.
Main Theme was released on July 14th.
The film was a summer vacation hit that year, and Morita, who also had the KADOKAWA brand took another step
toward becoming a major director.
Here's the episode before the decision on the next one ...
One day, Mr. Furusawa of Sundance Company, a production company, said, "Shibuya Pantheon, Shinjuku Milano, and
Central (the largest chain of movie theaters at that time) will be open next fall, and we want you to come up with an
original film with Morita and Yusaku Matsuda." Then, Morita drafted a story about a salesman who sells nuclear shelters
and showed it to Mr. Furusawa and Yusaku, but they were strongly opposed to the idea. Another day, the three of them
were having a discussion at the Sundance Company's office and Morita and Yusaku clashed.
Yusaku: Step Outside!
Morita: I'm going to shoot you with a pistol! (He’s no match for him in physical strength).
Furusawa: This is my office. If you two want to do it, do it outside.
Then Yusaku started to laugh at so much nonsense, and the situation was settled.
1985
He had wanted to film the classical masterpiece And Then written by Soseki Natsume when he was 60 or 70 years
old, but Yusaku and producer Mitsuru Kurosawa said, "It makes sense to do it now!" When he was shot And Then,
Morita was 35 years old. He aimed to make a film that does not disappoint people who have read Soseki’s novel, a
film that gives you the same feeling as when you finish reading Soseki’s novel, and a film that depicts the Meiji era
as post-modern, not archaic.
And Then began filming on April 11th.
And Then was released on November 9th.
The film was a critical and big success at the box office and dominated the various film awards that year.
The first collection of essays, Tokyo Director, was published in September.
The book Memories of Yoshimitsu Morita was published by Kinema Junposha Co., Ltd. in November.
1986
1987
He depicted pure Japanese sentiments in And Then, and next pioneered Sorobanzuku which is surreal, nonsensical,
and uniquely rhythmic comedy.
After being called the "young master" in And Then, he chose to dismiss
that title, not wanting to take advantage of that. He said, "I could freely
experiment with various things, so I had a lot of fun during the filming."
In fact, he became a hot topic when he declared himself a
"director in fashion" on his New Year's greeting card that year.
The film was entered into the directors’ fortnight of the
Cannes Film Festival in May.
Sorobanzuku was released on August 23rd.
The film was too much of a surprise to understand at the time.
However, it has become a popular film now.
Kichitaro Negishi shot Whooh! Exploration Unit for which Morita
wrote the screenplay, at the same studio at the same time.
Whooh! Exploration Unit was released on October 18th.
He published Amida-sama (ladder lottery with playfulness)
in Trouble in April.
1988
The next film in the drastic jump from pure literature to nonsense
comedy is Kanashii Iro Yanen (Love and Action in Osaka), about
two young men at the mercy of a yakuza war. Based on the theory
that "pursuing reality alone is not enough to produce a human
performance," Morita, “the Tokyo boy”, has constructed a world
that could be described as "Osaka in the near future."
Kanashii Iro Yanen (Love and Action in Osaka) was released on
December 10th.
The film BAKAYARO! 1 (omnibus film) which he wrote the screenplay
and was the general supervisor in October was also released. He could
have directed the film himself, but he gave an opportunity to young
people from different industries to direct one episode at a time. He said,
"I wanted to broaden the scope of the film, and people from various
genres such as TV, theater, and commercials will become film directors
in the future." This omnibus film became a big hit and was made into a
series. And today (2022), it’s quite normal for a director who comes
from a different genre to make a film, but he is also a path pioneered by
Morita.
1989
Ai to Heisei no Iro-Otoko (24 Hour Playboy) was filmed as a co-feature with BAKAKAYARO! 2.
When talking about the film he said that "I tried my best to make a lighthearted film with the idea of a "B-side of a record"
as much as I can." Ai to Heisei no Iro-Otoko (24 Hour Playboy) was released on July 8th.
Kitchen began filming on July 31st.
The film is based on a best-selling novel by Banana Yoshimoto. He accepted the offer
"on a hunch this is the material with which I could write a good screenplay."
The previous film, Ai to Heisei no Iro-Otoko (24 Hour Playboy),
was a film with a "Japanese bubble economy atmosphere,"
but in Kitchen, Morita has already anticipated the sense
of loneliness, difficulty in communication, difficulty in living,
and trapped feeling among young people (humans) in the
"post-bubble economy" era, which is truly typical of Morita.
Kitchen was released on October 28th.
He directed the Telephone’s Life of 100th Year series of
NTT (the Japanese Telegram and Telephone Corporation) and
annual TV commercials.
He wrote a screenplay for the TV drama Playing Just for Tonight (3- episode series).
The film BAKAYARO! 3 was released.
Happy Wedding began filming on February 8th.
He experienced the challenge of writing an original screenplay within the framework of a production company that had
already decided on the theme, lead actors, and even the title. Morita later said, "I wanted to make a pleasant, well-made,
and entertaining film that would warm the hearts of the audience." The film was well received and performed well at the
box office as intended.
Happy Wedding was released on May 18th.
The essay collection Horse Racing! Can't help but love it was published in March.
Future Memories: Last Christmas was released on August 29th.
The goal of Future Memories: Last Christmas, a collaboration with Fujio F. Fujiko, was to create
"a story that deviates from everyday life but also looks back at reality."
He spent the next few years on a "long and painful summer vacation." When talking about that time he said, "I'm not sure
where I'm headed, whether it's better to go for the hit or do what I think I want to do." He had worked at a movie theater
before becoming a director, so he understood the struggle movie theaters faced when a movie was not a hit. This is part of
why he was conflicted on what type of movie to make, and also why he worked harder than any other director on the film’s
advertising campaign.
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
He wrote a scenario for the TV drama Nice to meet you.
He wrote a series of essays I love horses, I love people in Weekly Shukan Shincho, who traveled to local horse racing
tracks all over Japan. Later on, they were published together as Tabi (Travel), Yu (Hot Spring),
Keiba (Horse Racing) with Director Yoshimitsu Morita (Ariadne project).
He began writing the (HARU) script not on manuscript paper, but on a computer for the first time.
When talking about that time he said, "I had been using computers since earlier in my life than others, so I knew what
computer communication was. I thought the time would come when we would be able to converse over long distances
using only text as a new form of communication." Morita truly had foresight: two years later came the launch of
Windows 96, at a time when many people had not yet seen a computer.
(HARU) began filming on April 7th.
In this film, they not only filmed the actors and actresses but also filmed a computer screen. None of the staff had any
experience with filming a screen and the challenges that occurred. The director said, "I experimented in the lab over and
over again until I read a level where the text on the screen was easy to read." Since it was the age of film with a film
camera, not a digital camera, it took many months to make a film using the "film recording" method, as in, it took a huge
amount of work to put text on each and every frame.
(HARU) was released on March 15th.
Despite his hard work, the film didn’t do well at the box office,
as PC and e-mail were not yet common. However, it built
up a great reputation in the film community, and this film,
his first in four years, was even called "Morita’s revival" and
won numerous awards. He said seven years later, "Aside from
talking about the result, I learned a lot from making (HARU),
and it became an asset for me. If I had not made (HARU),
I might not be where I am today."
He directed TV commercials (annual series) for
JRA (Japan House Racing Association).
However, he reluctantly quit making the commercials
for the latter half of the series due to the filming of Lost Paradise.
Lost Paradise began filming on December 10th.
He immediately answered, "I'll do it!” and he saw the potential for success as a pornographic film that women can enjoy.
It was (HARU)'s next work, so pure love followed by decadent love. The unique and different type of combination from
(Haru) to Lost Paradise is the same as from And Then to Sorobanzuku: And Then is a literary and classical work and
Sorobanzuku is a nonsense and comical work.
1996
1997
Lost Paradise was released on May 10th.
As Morita expected, the film was a great hit with the female audience.
The legend of the line of people waiting to enter the Marunouchi Toei
that stretched all the way to the end of Ginza-Itchome is still passed
down to this day.
The film won a number of awards, including the Japan Academy Award
for Best Director, and was also entered into the world competition of
the Montreal International Film Festival.
Keiho began filming on May 11th.
Morita, who has always loved suspense, believes that "the one-shot picture
itself should be suspenseful," and Morita wrote with Sumio Omori based on
Sumio’s original work.
In October, he was the general producer of ceremonies
at the Kanagawa Yume Kokutai (National Sports Festival in Kanagawa).
Keiho was released on May 1st.
Morita described the film as "highly satisfying in my mind, because it caused a stir by raising a single issue." The film was
highly acclaimed in the film industry, and not only Morita but also the staff and cast received various awards. The film was
entered into the competition of the Berlin Film Festival.
The Black House began filming on July 15th.
When talking about the film he said, "Real-life incidents similar to the original also exist, so I intended to make a 'vibrant’
horror film rather than a realistic horror movie. This was the beginning of this work, when I thought, 'You must have a
sense of fear when you see bright yellow sunflowers and blue skies, instead of black and dark ones.'"
The Black House was released on November 13th.
It was especially popular with younger audiences. A number of them said, "I'm scared of working overtime late at night."
Recently (2022) it has also experienced a resurgence in popularity.
1998
1999
2002
Copycat Killer began filming on January 25th and finished on March 15th.
Miyabe Miyuki, the author of the original story, nominated Morita for the director of the film adaptation, and Morita said,
"As I read the original story, more and more images came to me, and I thought this would be a good film. The reason why I
offered so many people from variety shows is that I wanted to visualize the idea of crime in aspects of a variety."
Furthermore, "I felt the original novel had a consistent value that we shouldn’t judge the value of a person’s life." For him,
"Piece, the protagonist, Nakai Masahiro, who was chosen by evil, is also human. The film feels really philosophical to me
every time I watch it. Someday everybody understands it, I believe."
Copycat Killer was released on June 8th.
The film's different ending from the original story caused controversy, and it became
the No. 1 live-action film of the year at the box office.
2003
He went to the Hakodate in Hokkaido to study the location for writing Umineko (The Seagull)’s screenplay in
January.
Like Asura began filming on April 15th.
It was a film adaptation of a TV drama by Kuniko Mukoda, whom Morita was an avowed fan of himself. The cast includes
the previous lead actresses of the Morita team as well as the brilliant cast. Morita recalled, "This film is the sushi of
Japanese cinema, and I directed it as if I were a top sushi chef. Rather than making things up as he goes along, he brings
out the best of the materials while utilizing his skills in areas that are not visible." Furthermore, "if I look at people as if I
were looking at them through a microscope, they appear more dynamic than if they were life-size." Also, he said, "When
the TV version was first shown in 1979, people are appalled that sometimes women could be like the Asura which means
an agonistic and merciless mind derived from the Indian war god. But now, 25 years later, we all know that not only
women but also every person has got Asura in his/her heart. I hope that this film will give people some sense of how to
live with that, and how to live in a positive way when they watch this film. It truly shows "How interesting humans are.'"
Morita appeared in the film
Crying out Love in the Center of the World directed by
Isao Yukisada on September 24th.
Like Asure was released on November 8th.
As he expected, the film was popular among female audiences.
When talking about the film he said, "I think this is an
interesting film that young people can watch, laugh at, and
even cry." The director, staff, and cast received awards.
The film was entered into the world competition of the
Montreal International Film Festival.
In December, the book Yoshimitsu Morita-Gumi was
published by Kinema Junpo Co. Ltd.
Umineko (The Seagull) winter location was filmed from
February 14th-26th and the summer location from
June 14th-August 13th.
When talking about the film Morita said, "The wave of digitalization is gathering momentum and revolutionizing human
behavior patterns and consciousness, but the human mind is not made up of a CPU, so feelings, love, and hatred naturally
exist even in these times. I wanted to create a film that explored fundamental human themes while more than adequately
showing the seasons and climate of Japan."
2004
2005
Umineko (The Seagull) was released on November 13th.
The Mamiya Brothers began filming on July 25th and finished on September 6th.
Morita presented a handwritten statement to the people concerned with the film as below.
"The Mamiya Brothers are not close siblings but are synonymous with close friends. They share the same
hobbies and are friends with the same atmosphere. Now people are looking for that partner, and that identity is in the film.
Make no mistake about it, the film will be a hit. My only wish is that the advertising would take that into account."
2006
The Mamiya brothers were released on May 13th.
This film, "Lots of little happiness," gave a richness of
analogs to the people of the Internet society.
Starting with 13 theaters, the number of screening theaters
has increased rapidly, becoming a successful example of
a small release to an expanded release. It has also become
a popular film, ranking within the top 10 in video rental
shops more than a year after its release.
Sanjuro began filming on September 18th and finished
on December 1st.
Morita expressed his determination and how honored
he was at the time of the film’s presentation as shown below.
"I am humbled and excited by this remake of Sanjuro
by Akira Kurosawa, a director I respect. The source of
Kurosawa in the world is the pursuit and fruition of fun and
excitement as entertainment, making full use of all technology
and production skills. The directors of our generation have
respected and learned from Kurosawa’s films. Sanjuro
is a drama that feels full of life in modern times. I feel it is a
challenge but at the same time historically significant to show
people Sanjuro focusing on a drama rather than the style of
that genre, jidaigeki (historical dramas)."
2007
Southbound began filming on May 26th and finished on July 18th.
When talking about the film he said, "I don't remember eating with my parents, and I never went anywhere with
my parents. Many of my films have a family theme, maybe because I have a longing for the family." Furthermore,
"The development of the Internet has made it easier to find a place whose land and people are suitable for you. I
think it is time for us to think about where we are going and where is the most ideal place for us to live. I want you
to think about your place in the world. Where is your place? That's the biggest reason I made this film."
Southbound was released on October 6th.
Sanjuro was released on December 1st.
2009
It’s on Me began filming on November 16th and finished on December 22nd.
When the film was presented he said, "Money is a very important thing for people. I think it is time to think about the
purpose of spending money in the current world. I thought this story was necessary in this day and age because we live in a time when the economy is a major factor in people's lives and the use of money seems absurd." Furthermore, "Money
does not live without people's hearts, but even without money, the human spirit lives on. However, money makes people's
hearts feel more lively. In order for money to be spent effectively, it must be spent on people and companies that you
believe in or your soul will not live on. Even the financial crisis of 2008 happened because the people involved had no
heart. It's a terrible mess because people in the financial world have been pursuing only short-term profits (because the
mechanics are too complicated) and betting their money on securities that they have no love for. If they had bet with their
heart, I think there would have been a way to recover from that."
It’s on Me was released on October 31st.
Abacus and Sward began filming on December 3rd and finished on January 26th, 2010.
For the first time, the film was shot at Shochiku Studios in Kyoto.
Morita was shocked and in awe of Kyoto's technical skills (art, costumes, hair-dressing, actors, etc.), and the outstanding
teamwork made him realize that he should have come to Kyoto earlier. Thus, he prepared several projects to be shot in
Kyoto after this filmmaking. When talking about the film he said, "Each time I make a film, I want it to have an innovative
concept. I thought the samurai of abacus idea was very interesting. The economy should be the foundation of society in
any era, but why has this never been depicted in a samurai drama before? It was truly a brilliant idea. The fact that there
were expense accounts in the the days of the samurai was a surprise, and the detailed expense accounts inspired me to
create drama about the family."
He appeared in the film That’s The Way!!
Train Brain Express began filming on September 1st and finished on October 19th.
Morita-Gumi always held an after-party when they finished filming.
The announcement of the after-party for this work was as written.
"Dear All Staff, Cast, and other team members,
Train Brain Express, which departed from Kyushu on a sweaty day, ran for about
40 days until it finally arrived at the president’s office of Nozomi Estates.
We took many trains from Kyushu to Tokyo and ran without any accidents or
injures I am so grateful for all the members of the team. Now I would also like to
hold a party to appreciate you all. Please join us!"
Also, in the handbook delivered to the staff in Kyushu, he wrote: "Production staff
will protect walls and floors on the facility of the location, but please takes care to
not damage or defile anything. Don’t rush. Safety first."
Abacus and Sword was released on December 4th.
It was a great success. The first pre-release took place and made a hit in Kanazawa and after that, he said “I’m so happy”
for the first and last time in his life.
After the pre-release, he campaigned in various places to make his film a blockbuster. This was Morita's last advertising
campaign trip. He was more enthusiastic to be advertising campaign than anyone else in Morita-Gumi every time.
Train Brain Express was previewed on January 18th.
The preview of the film started on March 22nd. Morita's concept for this film was that good friends who share hobbies
without any monetary interest are the most important and happiest thing in this day and age. This is also the case with
The Mamiya Brothers.
Morita wrote on July 5th about the hip-hop group LIP SRIYME who made the film’s theme song as below. "What I find
wonderful about LIP SRIYME’s music is that the rhythm is derived from the lyrics, instead of the lyrics being dictated by
the rhythm. Therefore, it is easy to visualize the image of the film even while getting into the rhythm. I first asked him to
sing the theme song because the funny tension and warmth of the brother’s music suited them perfectly… From the
beginning, I wanted to ask LIP SRIYME to sing the theme song for the film Train Brain Express. The feeling of the two
main characters getting along and warming up their friendship on the trains matched LIP SRIYME’s sense of
brotherhood…I liked that the rhythm, the warmth, and the lyrics seem to say what the main character is feeling. I want all
the boys and girls to listen to this song and get on the Train Brain Express when they are lonely."
He took the Train Brain Express alone on December 20th.
2010
2011
2008
2012
Train Brain Express was released on March 24th.
In January, the book Yoshimitsu Morita Festival was published by PIA CORPORATION.
2013
2021
The book Yoshimitsu Morita Film The Complete Collection was published by Little More in September.
The Blu-ray of Yoshimitsu Morita’s "Something Like" Complete Collection was released in December.
In a never-before-seen release, more than 10 companies collaborated on the Blu-ray which included 27 works.
